Office of Student Financial Services

Federal Work-Study is a work program funded by the federal government and Brandeis University. If you are eligible for FWS funds, you will be assigned an allotment in your financial aid package. The current balance of your allotment is available by contacting SFS.

You must reapply for financial aid each year to be considered for FWS. It is important to note that wages earned through FWS will not be included in total income when determining financial aid eligibility for the following year. However, wages earned by all other employment will be included. All wages, however, must be reported as taxable income on your state and federal income tax returns.

Students must apply for financial aid and meet federal eligibility requirements each year to receive a work study award. Awards are calculated in the student’s financial aid package by the Office of Student Financial Services.

Nothing; you will not be penalized for not earning all of your award. You will, however, forfeit the remainder of the award.

No. Federal Work-Study (FWS) is not a guarantee of on-campus employment. FWS, however, provides you the opportunity to also explore off-campus employment opportunities with nonprofit organizations as well as with city, state and federal government offices. Federal Work-Study offers a wide range of employment options, but it does not guarantee a job.

No. Federal Work-Study is an opportunity for students to work to earn money for college expenses and gain valuable employment experience. It is one component of an aid package that may be comprised of loan, scholarship/grant or work awards.

A student may choose to decline the work offer. However, you will not necessarily be eligible for additional aid if you decline the Federal Work-Study award.

Students who are awarded an FWS or University Employment allotment as part of their financial aid package are given priority for jobs until Oct. 1. If you were not awarded such an allotment, you must wait to seek employment until after this date.

While some departments can hire only students who have Federal Work-Study, many others are able to hire students who do not have FWS. Check Workday to see the specific requirements for each job posted. You must have a valid Social Security number to seek employment on campus.

You are responsible for seeking an off-campus work study job at a non-profit agency that is of interest to you. For more information on getting an off-campus job approved, please read the Off-Campus Job Registration Procedures section of the Student Employment Handbook.

University Employment is a need-based work program funded solely by Brandeis University and is awarded to eligible students as part of their financial aid package. Although some on-campus employers may only hire Federal Work-Study students, most positions are available to students funded by either employment program.

Supplementing education with work experiences helps students:

• experience a professional environment.

• apply theory to the practical world.

• expand career knowledge and assess career interests.

• build leadership, communication and other marketable skills.

• enhance confidence.

On- and off-campus employment opportunities are located under Job Opportunities.

The following forms are required if you have not worked previously for the university. You may download these forms here or pick them up at the Office of Student Financial Services in Usdan:

• Form I-9 (Federal Employment Eligibility Verification) — will be completed online in Workday once a job offer has been issued and the hire completed. Please do not send us a PDF or printed copy as we will not be able to accept it.

• Foreign National Information Form (for international students)

Please note that the Internal Revenue Service requires the university to verify the Social Security number of all employees. You should be prepared to provide your Social Security card to the Office of Student Financial Services for review if your name or Social Security number is in question at any time.

Refer to the "On-campus Job Registration Procedures" section of the Student Employment Handbook for detailed on-campus job registration procedures.

To comply with the Immigration Reform and Control Act, all students who intend to work on campus will be required to present identification to the Office of Student Financial Services that satisfies the requirements of Form I-9 (Employer Eligibility Verification) prior to beginning employment. Students must show one document from List A or one document from List B and one document from List C. Please refer to the form I9 for a complete list of acceptable documents. Common documents include:

No. All documents must be original — with the exception of a birth certificate which may be a notarized copy.

You must be physically present in the US for at least 10 days prior to applying for a Social Security number (SSN). International students who are located outside the United States and have no Social Security number are not able to be hired.

To apply for a SSN, please do the following:

• International Student On-Campus Employment Form (for students with on-campus jobs) OR

• Fellowship award letter (PhD students only) OR

• Job offer letter (for students, scholars, researchers) OR

• J-1 sponsored student letter issued by visa sponsor

• Take the On-Campus Employment Form and the following documents to a local Social Security Administration office to apply for your Social Security number:

  • Valid passport and visa AND

  • Most recent I-20 (for F-1 visa holders) OR DS-2019 (for J-1/J-2 visa holders) AND

  • Print out of most recent electronic Form I-94

  • Application for a Social Security card

• Once you have applied for an SSN, you must complete Form I-9 with the Office of Student Financial Services before you may begin working. You should bring your Social Security card or the receipt from your SSN application and your choice of acceptable documents to complete Form I-9.

Once you have gathered all of the required documents to apply for an SSN in your specific situation, you will need to go to the Social Security Administration Office to apply for your SSN in person.

To locate the nearest SSA Office, use the Social Security Office Locator. The Social Security Administration offices in Waltham and Cambridge are now open to walk-ins. No appointments are necessary.

The Waltham SSA Office is located at:

135 Beaver St., Suite 120
Waltham, MA 02452

If your SSN application is accepted, you will receive a receipt confirming you have applied for an SSN. For more detailed information on how to apply for an SSN, visit the Social Security Administration website.

After you apply for an SSN, your Social Security card will be sent to you by mail within 12-15 business days at the address you indicated on your SSN Application. Once you receive your card, keep it in a safe place and be cautious about sharing it with others. Do not send your SSN or an image of your SSN card over email! Gmail is not a secure enough platform to safely transmit personally identifiable information. Remember that once you have a Social Security number, you do not need to apply for another one.

Keep in mind that having a Social Security number does not authorize you for employment. For information on employment authorization, please visit the Employment/Internship page on our ISSO website.

you must complete Form I-9 with the Office of Student Financial Services before you may begin working. You should bring your Social Security card or the receipt from your SSN application and your choice of acceptable documents to complete Form I-9.

The work week runs from Monday to Sunday. During the academic year, undergraduate students are allowed to work a maximum of 20 hours per week and no more than eight hours per day. U.S. graduate students may work a maximum of 40 hours per week. Per federal regulations, international students are not allowed to exceed 20 hours of work per week, regardless of class standing.

During official vacation periods of seven consecutive days or more, U.S. undergraduate students may work a maximum of 40 hours per week. International students may work 40 hours during winter break and summer break. Students are not allowed to work more than 40 hours per week.

Students who fail to comply with this policy will be terminated and lose eligibility to work on-campus. Please see the "Student Employment Policies" section of the Student Employment Handbook for more detailed information on work-week policies.

U.S. undergraduate students who are in good academic standing and would like to work more than 20 hours per week must contact the Office of Student Financial Services to apply for a waiver of this policy. The student must complete the 20 Hour Work Limit waiver in Workday. They can initiate the task either from the Student Financial Aid section of Workday, or by Typing “Create Request” in the Workday search bar and choosing “petition to Waive 20 Hour Work Requirement” as the request type.

Once the request is submitted, it routes to Academic Services for review and approval. After Academic Services approves the request, it will then route to Financial Aid for approval.  Once  approved, Student Employment will review and note the waiver’s approval.

The student will receive an email notification if the petition has been approved. Until they receive this notice, they are not approved to work more than 20 hours per week.

For a duplicate copy of your W-2, please contact the Payroll Office

Beginning in spring 2021, you should be able to access your W-2 via Workday.

Direct deposit, a benefit offered by Brandeis University, is a safe and convenient way to deposit your earnings into your checking or savings account. Whether you are on break, away for a long weekend or sick on pay day, your money is automatically credited to your checking or savings account. Imagine never having to rush to the bank on payday, never worrying about losing or washing your paycheck and never having to stand in line to cash or deposit your check.

Read the instructions on the form and speak with your parents or a tax advisor for advice about completing a W-4 form or local tax forms. Brandeis University cannot give you tax advice. This form can be completed online through Workday.

Work-study earnings are taxable income. Being on work study does not exempt you from paying taxes.

Being a student does not automatically exempt you from paying taxes. Your earnings are subject to both federal and state income taxes. If you work during the summer, you will also have Social Security and Medicare taxes withheld from your paychecks.  

Yes, international students are subject to both state and federal income taxes. However, some students may be eligible to exempt a portion of their earnings from taxes if their country has a tax treaty with the United States. All international students should complete the Foreign National Information Form and submit it to the Payroll Office to determine eligibility for treaty benefits. Visit the International Students & Scholars Office for basic information.

Pay is issued to hourly paid students on Fridays. Provided you and your supervisor have followed all the appropriate procedures, you should receive your first paycheck on the Friday of your second week of work. All pay will be distributed on schedule provided all required documentation, including your time sheets, were submitted on time. Holidays and school vacations may necessitate early time-sheet deadlines or delayed delivery of paychecks.

No, paychecks go directly to you by direct deposit to your checking or savings bank account. You will be instructed to sign up for direct deposit once you have been officially hired into the system.

You must contact the Payroll Office located at 60 Turner St. and ask for additional instructions. Paychecks usually expire within three months of issue. This may cause your check to be rejected by your bank. Again, direct deposit is recommended as it offers convenience and less time being consumed by you or university offices, especially in such cases where extra research and technical steps need to be taken.

Yes. In order to prevent money from being deposited into a closed bank account, you need to immediately update your direct deposit information via Workday. Please contact the Payroll Office for additional information.